


Hope

by therron_shan



Series: Between the Stars [non-canon] [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Gen, One shot that might become a prologue later, origin story of sorts, very feelsy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 02:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14226729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therron_shan/pseuds/therron_shan
Summary: Jedi Master Orgus Din and his companion Sergeant Harron Tavus stumble upon two lone survivors from the wreckage of the Jedi Temple during the Sacking of Coruscant.





	Hope

**Author's Note:**

> This came out of a convo @[delavairesslegacy](https://delavairesslegacy.tumblr.com/) and I had earlier about Caia and Aurelia being younglings during the Sacking of Coruscant. And I really like it. For those who don’t know, Railin (mentioned below) is Aurelia’s mother, who fell in love with and got pregnant by Orgus Din (though he never knew of a pregnancy). I like to think this is the force drawing him to his daughter. I mean it works in mysterious ways I guess. Anyway. Enjoy. Also the brief dialogue between Orgus and Tavus is adapted from the comic Threat of Peace.

_Coruscant, 3653 BBY_

For the first time in his life, Orgus Din was terrified.  He’d lived on Rishi, fought in this thirty year war, and experienced more life in fifty years than most do in a hundred.  But he’d never felt  _this_  before.  Fear.  Not until now, as he watched the Jedi Temple implode on itself.  There was fear, sorrow,  _anger_.  The masters, the younglings…  _Bengel_ …

Beside him, Harron stopped.  “We’re too late.”

It didn’t make sense to Orgus.  This couldn’t be happening.  The Temple was - the  _Temple_.  It’d stood for - thousands of years.  And the Sith had managed to demolish it in a matter of hours.  He took a step forward.  He wanted to do something.   _Needed_  to do something, even though he knew it was futile.  “We can’t let it fall.”

Harron put his hand on Orgus’s shoulder and squeezed gently.  Comfortingly.  “Let it go, Orgus.  Someone needs to survive this.  We’ll get them back.  I promise.”

His heart ached.  His stomach churned.  “But… Bengel.  The others - “ And then he sensed it.  Two strong yet exhausted presences.  Young.  Jedi.

“Someone’s alive,” he murmured.

Harron’s back straightened and he started to scan the area.  “Where?”

Orgus closed his eyes.  Breathed.  Focused.  Past the death and destruction -

“There.”  He pointed to a toppled statue of a famous master (he couldn’t tell who).  “Behind that statue.”

They moved almost in unison towards the collapsed sculpture, Harron staying close as he always did.  Orgus saw them first.  Two young girls, no older than ten.  Neither even had padawan braids, though one held a lightsaber that was almost as long as her arm.  No doubt taken from a fallen Knight to defend themselves.  They were covered in blood, and the unarmed one lay curled up next to the other.  Orgus could hear her sobbing quietly and his heart broke even more.  And in that moment the girl with the lightsaber turned and ignited the saber.

_Railin._

Beside him, Harron reached for his rifle.

Orgus shook his head.  This girl, with her defiant blue eyes and fearless face, looked too much like  _her._  The Knight whose name he swore he’d never say again.  Blood and dust painted her skin.  Her youngling robes were burned and bloodied, torn.  The lightsaber she held had red finger prints.  And she shook in fear, in anger.  Orgus gently reached out in the force and took the lightsaber, deactivating it.  She stood with her back straight, and her companion looked up.

“Who are you?”  Her voice shook almost as much as her body.

Orgus pulled his hood down and knelt in front of her.  She watched his every movement.  “My name is Orgus, youngling.  I am a Jedi Master.  This is my friend, Sergeant Tavus.  We are on your side.”

She looked to her companion on the floor, who slowly sat up and raised her gaze.  Her hazel eyes settled on Orgus - and he could feel her probing his mind through the force.  He’d been able to sense her strength in the force the moment he walked up but this, this was new.  There were some masters who didn’t have this skill.  The girl looked back at her friend and nodded.  “It’s the truth.”

The other, apparently satisfied, looked down at the lightsaber on the ground.  “Will I get in trouble for stealing, Master?”

Harron made a noise.

Orgus sighed heavily and shook his head.  “No, youngling.  I promise.  What’s your name?”

“Aurelia,” she said softly.  “This is Caia.”  Her face crumpled but she took a deep breath and didn’t cry.  “What happened, Master?  We heard yelling.  Master Zallow told us and the other younglings to leave.  I saw - a scary man.  He was tall and wore a-a black hood.  He had a red lightsaber.  They  _all_  did.”

Orgus exchanged a look with Harron, and he looked back at Aurelia.  “They were Sith, youngling.  You’re lucky to have survived.”  He looked between them, at Aurelia standing proud yet shaking; at Caia sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs.  The force was strong with them, that much was certain.  As scared as they were.  He held his arms out to them, and almost immediately they both moved towards him.  He held them tight; and in comforting them he felt a sense of peace.  Something he desperately needed right now.  “The force must have grand designs in mind for the two of you.”

Caia lifted her head and her eyes lightened.  “My teacher said the force has plans for everyone.”  She looked away.  “He’s dead.”

Aurelia nodded.  “They’re all dead, Master.”

Orgus sighed and stood up, picking both girls up with him.  “Let’s get you somewhere safe.  We’ll clean you up, get you some food.  You’ve been through - too much today.”

The girls clung to him as he and Harron walked.  They’d have to find somewhere secret.  Somewhere where the Sith couldn’t find them.  He needed to reach out to other Jedi.  Perhaps the delegation on Alderaan.  If they were still alive, that was.   _Someone_  had to be.  Someone.

He glanced down and saw Aurelia with her hand over Caia’s.  He felt the bond between them, the strength in each of them.  And for the first time in too long, Orgus Din had hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Aaaand like the tags say this may or may not become a prologue/series. Lemme know what you guys think?


End file.
